ISL: Rating the newly launched team kits

With just more than a week left for the start of this year’s Indian Super League (ISL), we take a look at the newly released kits for this season. From Odisha FC to SC East Bengal, at least five football clubs have revealed their home and away looks for the new season and we rate them out of 10.

# FC Goa (Home - 7.5/10; Away - 8/10)

The Gaurs new home and away jerseys have been designed by upcoming sports apparel and streetwear brand SIX5SIX who are also the Indian national team’s uniform partner.

The home jersey sports the team’s famous bright orange with a gradient design and zig-zag patches and takes inspiration from ‘Uzzo’ which is the Konkani word for fire. It is slightly reminiscent of the hugely popular Nike Nigeria home kit from the 2018 World Cup albeit that was green in colour.

https://twitter.com/FCGoaOfficial/status/1320757782132543488

The away design is slightly cleaner and more straightforward, featuring black as the primary colour with an orange graphic design running through the bottom of the shirt and the sleeve cuffs. It makes for a smart and clean look and is definitely our pick ahead of the home shirt.

# Bengaluru FC (Home - 9/10; Away - 8.5/10)

JSW Group returns for a second stint as the club’s primary sponsor for Bengaluru’s kits this season which have been designed by Puma.

The home shirt sports a classic blue design with a white collar and red stripes along the ends of the sleeves. The minimal look is anything but plain though, with the club crest featuring three stars representing their two I-League and one ISL titles, apart from the classic Puma body-hugging fit which has become synonymous with the brand when it comes to football jerseys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8lk0K0u4X0

The away kit features the colours of the unofficial Karnataka flag in the form of the red and yellow seams that line the sleeves and the collar in an otherwise white shirt. The minimal brief is nailed on with this one too and the jersey does look classy with the underlying thought being to connect the players with the state and its people.

# SC East Bengal (Home - 8/10; Away - 8.5/10; Third - 7/10)

The ISL newbies recently launched their home, away and third kits for the new season which have been designed by Kolkata-based designer Meghna Nayak and features a local theme.

The home shirt is of course an amalgamation of the traditional red and yellow colours of the club with an added stylistic modification of the flame in the club’s logo in the lower half of the shirt, both in front and back. The design is simple, iconic and recognizable from afar which seems to have been the brief all along.

https://twitter.com/sc_eastbengal/status/1323244635016187905

The away shirt, in our opinion, is the best of the lot. It features a white and blue ensemble with the scales of the famous ‘Ilish’ or Hilsa fish making more than a guest appearance. The design is quite simplistic but also incorporates something which fans all over the world will relate to instantly.

The third kit is quite plain. Although it does incorporate the stripes of the Royal Bengal tiger down the sides, the remaining design is pretty bland and features monochromatic black theme from top to bottom.

# Odisha FC (Home - 8.5/10; Away - 8/10; Third - 8/10)

The new Odisha FC kits have been inspired by the state’s indomitable spirit and its ability to overcome tragedy and despair. It also pays tribute to the cultural essence of the people and celebrates the Khaanti (pure) Odia spirit.

Designed by T10 Sports, the home shirt is a combination of black and purple with the collar lined with purple as well. The bottom half of the shirt features a unique purple design that displays the cultural and architectural richness of the state.

https://twitter.com/OdishaFC/status/1325763449192767488

The away shirt is white with a purple coloured graphic motif along the shoulders up to the sleeve while the third kit is entirely red with the embedded graphic running all along the shirt except the sleeves.

# Hyderabad FC (Home - 7.5/10; Away - 7/10)

The Nizams have switched from black to yellow for the upcoming campaign as they look to change their on-field fortunes this year.

https://twitter.com/HydFCOfficial/status/1322805890311806976

The home kit is yellow with a black diagonal band that moves across from left to right with a slimmer white band underneath. The slim collar, shoulder line and sleeve trim are also black while the shorts and stockings have been kept yellow.

The away kit is exactly the same with the colours reversed. The black is more prominent while the band, sleeve trim, slim collar and shoulder line are in yellow. Although the design itself is not bad, both the home and away shirts could have done with a little more imagination and vibrancy.

Also read: Top 5 new signings of ISL 2020-21